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Changing of the guard

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Sister Enid Wood OP will take on the role of Vicar for Religious for the Archdiocese of Adelaide, following the appointment of Sr Marie Ralph as Community Leader of the Sisters of Mercy in Eastern Victoria and Tasmania.

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Sr Marie will take up her new position on March 2 and will have care for 155 Sisters in her community, which includes Melbourne.

Apostolic Administrator Bishop Greg O’Kelly SJ paid tribute to Sr Marie for her outstanding service over the past six and a half years.

“Your warmth, graciousness and joy are aspects of your personality that have come through so much in your ministry,” Bishop O’Kelly said at a farewell morning tea for Sr Marie which was attended by many members of Religious orders as well as Diocesan clergy and staff.

“Seeing the attendance here at your farewell is testimony to your work.”

Delegate Administrator Fr Philip Marshall said Sr Marie had been an “extraordinary gift”.

“You have been a Religious in the way that we in the Church and the world needs, you’ve supported the Religious… and so your ministry has made us a richer, better and more beautiful diocese.”

He commended Sr Marie for her role as “the diocesan hand and heart of care for people in Religious life”.

“Religious life is the call of a person baptised to live the Gospel as completely and in such a dedicated and wholehearted way as possible,” he said.

“It is a beautiful vocation and so utterly essential.”

Sr Marie thanked everyone she had worked with for their support and friendship and acknowledged Archbishop Wilson for “his great gratitude for the Religious in the Archdiocese”.

“To the consecrated community as a whole, if I had an operatic voice I would sing to you,” she said, referring to the song Companions on the Journey.

“As I leave this role the two words that will stay with me are hope and joy. I’ve been lifted and enriched by you and you’ve prepared me for my new role.

“I’m absolutely delighted that Bishop Greg has asked Enid Woods to take on the role of Vicar for consecrated life. I promise you with Enid you will have a listening ear, you’ll get plenty of wise counsel and you’ll get lots and lots of laughter.”

Bishop O’Kelly thanked Sr Enid for accepting the role and also expressed his gratitude to Sr Bernadette Kiley OP, the Dominican Provincial.

He said Sr Enid had an “extraordinary range” of experience in many schools and ministries: “If anyone knows the scope and extent of the human factor in Religious life, you do Enid.”

 

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